Harbour City Ramblings

3 relatives and 3 dogs, passing through 3 states, with 1 destination in mind: Southern California.

And we’re stoked!

Earlier this afternoon my roomies and relatives, Ali and Jeff, and I embarked on an epic journey. We hopped the Coho ferry from Victoria’s Upper Harbour and took sail south to Port Angeles, Washington.

Until recently, I lived on the small curve of land that stretches from the Coho loading dock, around the bend by which it travels, prior to pushing off towards the United States of America. I lived there in James Bay for nearly 5 years, and from my apartment window can recall hearing the blaring horn of the Coho departing countless times, without ever having boarded it myself.

We showed up at the loading dock 2 hours prior to the 3:00pm sailing. We sat sweltering in 30 degree heat while Customs agents toured the parking lot, passively quizzing travelers on their vehicle contents, destinations, and general intentions.

With plans to attend a wedding outside the Bay Area, they gladly let us continue on… so long as we obliged to toss out the unlabeled dog food we possessed. Ali & Jeff’s 3 Yorkshire Terriers are now forced to eat lesser quality canned sustenance for the next week. Fitting, as sub-standard eats are practically a road trip requirement!

Once you hit land and then pavement, the windy road from Port Angeles heading South-East down Highway 101 seemingly takes half a day. Really it was quite lovely and we passed through the wooded, sea-side towns in a couple of hours.

Jeff had been up since 1:00am, thus understandably passed out in the back of the vehicle while Ali and I made some odd road-side observations from up-front:

- Highway 101 is dedicated to the memory of the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, and alongside it a Marina dedicated to John Wayne.
- There are multiple adorable coffee huts. Tiny standalone buildings, catering to travelers java needs dot the length of the highway. Awesome!
- And quite fittingly we went by a shanty little “adult” store with a multitude of stacked wood out front. Yes- they sell wood. Insert juvenile snickering here… I did!

Currently we are flying down the I-5, having survived the heat wave by means of air conditioning, consuming H2O and some unusual tasting Americanized Iced Teas.

Out ETA is approximately tomorrow, mid-morning. There’s no stopping along the way, and so far we have roughly 6 hours under our belt of this 15 hour journey.

We’re now in gorgeous Portland, Oregon. If I weren’t so sleepy I’d make a Lost reference. Considering it was announced today that the brilliant producers, writers, cast and crew of Lost were nominated for a dozen Emmy Awards it would be most fitting. Oh well, I’ll probably think of one once we’re Not in Portland… Oh there it is!

California here we come!

We’ll start with letting the cat out of the bag actually- I did not run in the TC10k! Insert gasp here.

I still run religiously, and I love every bit of the footstep-pounding-on-the-pavement action. I still intend to partake in future races. But the timing of the TC10k was completely inconvenient for me due to other major life events and changes. I probably should have hopped on here in the couple of weeks prior to the 10k race to divulge that bit of information. Sorry to keep you in the dark!

In recent weeks I’ve commenced a refreshing new career and met some incredible connections, among many other exciting things. More on that soon enough.

For now, back to life, as I leave you with a little video my new co-workers have tendency to throw on once in a while to lift spirits…

Tonight I enjoyed a phenomenal meal at a fabulous Victoria establishment close to home. The service at Santiago’s was top-notch, and the Chipotle Mussels and Sangria were unparalleled. The only problem I had was with the guilt gnawing at my conscious throughout the delectable meal all evening long- “Alyssa, why didn’t you run today?”

I haven’t ran since Tuesday. But you know what vexatious voices inside my head? I’ve been “busy.”

Busy is a tricky excuse. One can presume another is “busy” with work, with family, with personal issues in general and simply accept it.

I, on the other hand, have no real excuse to back up my own “busy-ness” other than a brief stint with a head-cold that possessed my entire being as of Wednesday. From the time I awoke that morning straight through until yesterday, I had the sensation my entire brain was wrapped in a thick layer of tinfoil.

With every move I made, it felt as though the interior of my head crinkled and swelled, and begged me to stay still for not to endure such boisterous bedlam clambering inside my cranium.

Alas, as it is now Sunday, I am behind on my personal TC10k training plan.

Sad but true.

Since I commenced my training in February, I have ran no more than 6 kilometers at once. 4 entire kilometers short of the April 25th requirement of 10 kilometers.

My lack of self-discipline, even when caused by circumstances beyond my control and marred by illness, disappoints me. But this late in the game, there’s no way I’m throwing in the towel now.

Luckily my body has not completely been neglected over the last week. I have managed to partake in some cross-training. Mixing mild strength training and yoga, with a 20km cycling expedition along the Galloping Goose this past Friday.

Come tomorrow morning I intend to get back on course with my running.

I will have to endure a long run, and slowly over the next couple of weeks work up to 8km. But I am motivated by the fact that I have eaten well over the last few days, thus I have a built-up energy to get through a tough go on the track. My headaches and clogged sinuses have since passed. Plus I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to my galvanizing Running Playlist recently, so I am most looking forward to hearing a few songs I’ve neglected to listen to in almost a week. And lastly, I know my muscles, though not as firm in my own mind as they should be after almost a week off of my training plan, have their own memory. They know I can handle a 6km+ run, they’ve done it before… and come tomorrow morning- they’ll do it again.

Then in a mere month and a few days- I will be prepared to give it my all in my very first 10km race.

When I initially started hitting the streets to train for my very first TC 10k I went out and bought an armband for my iPhone, and proceeded to put together a playlist of songs I figured would get me pumped.

I sifted through all 3900 songs in my iTunes collection and managed to muster up 30 tracks of what I surmised to be my definitive running soundtrack.

Since I am not the world’s largest fan of hip-hop, rap or dance, I opted to leave such genres out. Plus, they really only make up around 8% of my iTunes ensemble. Instead I piled on my favourites- Propagandhi, Metallica, NOFX and Pennywise, to name a few.

My first attempt at a run was short, and as I quickly discovered so was my level of tolerance for that crappy, demotivating playlist of punk and metal.

What I discovered was horrifying…

I am motivated to run by rap music.

I never thought I would admit that. But I scrapped everything except the 1 song that got me running faster, harder, and for a far greater distance than I expected: Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” Sure I kept a large amount of other genres, but otherwise I did a complete overhaul to accommodate my previously unknown proclivity to hear bass pumping through my earphones.

My new playlist has grown on me. I am now 8 runs into my training, and with yesterday’s haul of just under 5 km I am working my way slowly up to 10k without the help of any guitar solos.

Here are the songs that- though some tough to digest at first- keep me pushing toward my goal of completing the TC 10k:

• Saul Williams (cover of U2’s) “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
• Jay-Z “Run This Town”
• Beastie Boys “Sabotage”
• Queens of the Stone Age “No One Knows”
• Iron Maiden “the Trooper”
• Eminem “White America”
• Kanye West “Stronger”
• Lamb of God “Again We Rise”
• Incubus “Vitamin”
• Westside Connection “Bow Down”
• Rise Against “Behind Close Doors”
• Children of Bodom “Needled 24/7″
• Daft Punk “Da Funk”
• Ol’ Dirty Bastard “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”

And the 3 that never fail to make me literally go that extra mile:

• Green Day “Jesus of Suburbia”
• the Offspring “All I Want”
• Eminem “Till I Collapse”

Those are what do it for me, as much as I previously denied it.

It all boils down to matching a song’s rhythm to your pace, and hearing the right song at the right point of your run.

A few times this week I have been about ready to quite and give my legs a half minute of walking- until one of my key 3 songs came on and I couldn’t help but push on. What songs, bands, or specific genres keep you motivated and moving?

Across the pond, along with all the Winter Olympic hype, the hubbub over unseasonably warm weather postponing events, canceling spectatorship, and refunding tickets is really putting a damper on things… for those in Vancouver.

Meanwhile here in Victoria, we are fortunate to share the same record breaking temperatures, but have the ability to fully enjoy it without sitting under the watchful, critical eye of the rest of the world. Who are still writing about Vancouver’s weather woes constantly.

I personally am benefitting from our balmy spring-like conditions, since this year I have taken up a new physical activity, by which I can enjoy the sunshine and all the fresh air my lungs can handle.

I decided last fall that I would partake in my first Times Colonist 10K Race. I wanted to run 10km in the year 2010. It’s a new venture for me, as in the last few years my workouts have only really consisted of yoga, and a particular video game…

Using Wii Fit to… gain weight? Yep.

In the last couple of years have I incorporated a regular fitness routine into my daily schedule. It takes place in my living room, using my TV. And if I really want, I can do it in my pyjamas. Though it isn’t extreme exercise, Wii Fit has enabled me to correct my previously poor posture, evaluate my gait, and gain muscle mass on my slender limbs.

Because of my through-the-roof metabolism I have always struggled to maintain a healthy weight, and gaining it was damn near impossible.

Nintendo’s Wii Fit has helped me to simply tone-up and reach a healthy BMI.

I may be one of the few individuals on the planet who can say they have successfully gained weight with Wii Fit.

With two years of performing push-up side planks, lunges, and various yoga poses in the comfort of my living room, I was ready to take my newly fit self to the streets.

Last Tuesday after starting with a custom-made Wii Fit routine to stretch, I strapped on my Saucony running shoes- which I acquired from my mom late last year when I decided I would run the TC10K- and I headed outdoors.

Tracking my 10K Training Progress

Within the last week and a half I have ran every other day. Using Run Keeper to track my progress, I have successfully covered 17.7 km of ground at a (slow, but progressing) average speed of 8.5 km/hour.

I have managed to cut a minute off of my average pace while bumping up my distance over these first 6 runs. My first run was 2.87 km. Today I completed exactly 4 km. I have set a schedule and plan to increase my distance and pace up until the big day- April 25th, 2010.

Co-workers and loved ones are supremely supportive and have been sharing their own personal running tips, which I have compiled here:

• Maintain good posture; leaning too far forward is tough on the diaphragm. Which brings me to…
• Find a breathing rhythm, and breath deeply; I have learned from past yoga instructors to breath deep into the diaphragm, to picture the oxygen reaching and energizing every part of your body.
• When running down hill ensure your feet stay beneath your body, don’t extend them too far forward, and again… keep your posture upright.
• Relax your arms and hands; keep them lose and hip-level, clenching your fists expends more energy.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate- both well before and far after.

With just under 70 days to go, my only hope is to continue enjoying this new found venture, quicken my pace, build-up my stamina, and make it past the finish line around the 60-minute mark.

Now here’s hoping this brilliant weather keeps up until April.

As ABC’s Lost enters into it’s final season, it’s time that I plan a trip to visit the very sites which make-up the backdrop that brilliantly compliments the best storytelling on television.

With 6 seasons soon to make-up the entirety of the Lost story-arc, filming locations are spread across most every corner of the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Knowing this, I have been doing my fair share of research into pre-packaged tours which claim to satisfy even the most die hard Lost fan. My only worry is whether some of the man-made props will still be available for viewing this fall, when the cold weather hits and I finally decide to hop from my own humble island, to that which the Oceanic 815 and Ajira 316 survivors made camp.

Companies offering Lost Tours include:

• Lost Virtual Tours
• Hawaiian Escapades
• KOS Hummer Tours
• Big Kahuna Hawaii

While the Lost tour may take precedence over all other activities on my personal Oahu To-Do list, it clearly isn’t the only reason to visit Hawaii’s most inhabited and third largest island.

I have managed to come up with some activities and worth-while sights that don’t necessarily include the Other’s compound, Hurley’s golf course, the Pala Ferry dock, or the spot where Desmond confronted and killed his Swan Hatch roommate Kelvin.

Oahu Hiking Trails

With a plethora of trails available for the avid hiker, I plan to take-in my fair share of mountain trekking. I’m not the least bit keen on shopping, nor can I sit still long enough to beach-dwell, thus exploring the jungles of Oahu is right up my alley.

Some trails I intend to conquer:

Manoa Falls –  Located in the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve, the trail to the falls boasts foot bridges and lush bamboo forests. Manoa Falls is considered an easy trail with a rewarding finish.

Ka’ena Point – Located on the most north west point of Oahu, in Ka’ena Point State Natural Area Reserve. The Ka’ena Point trail runs entirely along the shore with little elevation, but spectacular sand dunes, native birds, and even views of breaching whales off-shore in the winter months.

Makapu’u Point Trail – Located on the south eastern tip of the island, in Ka Iwi State Park. Makapu’u Point Trail provides a steep slope with panoramic views of southern Oahu and surrounding islands, a Lighthouse, and an Aquarium.

These a mere few outdoor activities I intend to partake in once I make my way to Oahu. I gather my list will grow as the fall approaches or I officially book my flight, so if anyone has any suggestions on what to do in Oahu- I am more than open to recommendations.